Could having a baby actually boost our brains?

Could having a baby actually boost our brains?

New thinking suggests having a baby can actually boost your brain - and even make you better at your job

We put down ‘baby brain’ as something that makes us forgetful and scatty – but what if we’ve been all wrong about it?

New Scientist magazine has suggested that, actually, having a baby can improve your cognitive performance, emotional resilience and strategic thinking, generally improve your performance at work – and your employability.

Although an early study showed that the brain shrinks during late pregnancy, this is now understood to be temporary. In fact, there’s now significant evidence that a woman’s intellect doesn’t suffer in any way after having a baby.

Instead, in the first four months after childbirth, the areas in mum’s brain around reasoning, judgment, empathy and regulating emotions expand.

Mums also have a blunted stress response, making them more resilient and able to cope with the demands of a new baby. Now those traits sounds like good managerial material to us!